Getting Back on Course..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Getting Back on Course

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Peter 3:17-18

No matter how far away from God you have drifted, you're always welcome back. That's the lesson from Jesus' parable about the prodigal son--the foolish boy who followed a pleasure-filled path to ruin before returning to his father and finding redemption (Luke 15:11-32). Perhaps ruin has not yet come to you, but you know that your heart has grown cool to the things of God. Whatever your drifting story, make this the day that you point yourself back to the Lord.

As with any sin, the first motion toward getting back on course is to acknowledge that you have slipped away from the Lord. Then you confess and repent, which is like turning your boat in the opposite direction and paddling toward God with all your strength. If you're wondering exactly how to do that, I suggest a strategy I use every morning. Before I step out of bed, I give myself to God by acknowledging, I surrender my entire life to You for this day. When something comes up that runs counter to His plan and I consider pursuing it, the Holy Spirit reminds me that I am not my own. Only God's way will do for me.

Every day we choose whether to row or drift. As for me, I choose to vigorously pursue God.

Peter gives a warning to be on guard against attitudes and ideologies that would carry you away from truth (2 Peter 3:17). Instead, choose to paddle your lifeboat toward the Lord by meditating on Scripture, praying, and living obediently. Practicing the spiritual disciplines keeps a heart warm toward God.

Living without Offense..... Craig Denison

 Living without Offense

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Loving others is one of the most important and difficult commands Jesus gave us. We are a messy, broken, needy, and sinful people. We constantly deal with our own wounds and those of others. Because there is no perfect person, the foundation for loving others must be based outside of the merit or worth of others. The foundation for love must come from the God who is love. As believers we must be constantly tapped into the love and grace of our heavenly Father so that we can love others selflessly and powerfully. May you receive the love of your Father and be empowered to love others this week as we look to grow in our obedience of Jesus’ command to love people.

Scripture:“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” >Proverbs 19:11

Devotional:

Taking offense allows others to dictate your emotions and thereby your quality of life. When we allow the expressions of brokenness in others to affect us, we take our minds off of the ways of heaven and place them on the ways of the world. If we are to effectively live in obedience to the second greatest commandment of loving others, we must allow God to transform us into those who live without offense.

When someone wrongs me, I instantly feel a need for justice and fairness rise within me. I feel as if I inherently have the right to be angry or even to exact revenge for the wrong they committed. Offense stirs up feelings of insecurity, pride, anger, and frustration that I will do just about anything to rid myself of. But when I look at Scripture, I see Jesus modeling the exact opposite reaction to offense.

Matthew 27 is filled with wrongs done to Jesus. As seen in his betrayal, the freeing of the murderer Barabbas, the floggings, a crown of thorns, carrying of the cross, the mocking by the soldiers and thief, and his eventual death, Jesus had more right to take offense and exact revenge than any human in all of history. But Jesus saw past all the offense to the heart of those who wronged him. He saw past the hard, aggressive, and angry exteriors to the wounded places of the soul and found within him the strength, love, and courage to pray, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). In the face of the worst offenses and injustices, Jesus chose to offer grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.

Jesus lived his life free from offense and therefore was freed to love others. His ability to look past expressions of brokenness to the hurts beneath the surface empowered him to live with joy, passion, love, and purpose. Leviticus 19:18 says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”If we are to fulfill the command of Scripture, we must look to Jesus as our model and live without offense. We must choose grace over revenge and compassion over worldly justice.

You have the ability to choose how you will respond to others. Your emotions and actions do not have to be dictated by the sinful acts of others. Choose to pursue love and humility over vengeance and anger. Allow the Lord to highlight and heal any wounds and insecurities that cause you to respond poorly to offense as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Scripture’s command to live without offense. Reflect on Jesus’ response to offense and elevate him as your model for living.

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” >Proverbs 19:11

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” >1 Peter 2:23

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:3-8

2. What insecurities or wounds cause you to respond to offense in ways other than those of Jesus? What’s at the core of your offense? What’s keeping you from fully loving others?

“Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.” >Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you look past acts of brokenness to the heart of those who offend you. Ask him to heal your own brokenness and transform you into a person who loves others well.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” >Ephesians 4:32

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” >Romans 14:19

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”>Ephesians 4:2-3

What would your life be like if you were free from offense? How much more consistently would you experience peace and joy? If God commands you to choose humility and compassion over offense, it must be a far better way to live. Vengeance, anger, and frustration will only rob you of the abundant life God intends for you, whereas humility and compassion will fill you with the very power and grace of God himself. May you be a child with the heart of the Father and love others with his love today.

Extended Reading: Matthew 27

Seeing God in the Middle of Your Messed-Up Plans..... BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

 Seeing God in the Middle of Your Messed-Up Plans

BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

I’ve had my share of daydreams about living on permanent vacation, but this wasn’t how I pictured it going down.

After moving to a new city for work, my family couldn’t find a home that fit us or our budget, despite how hard we tried. Surprisingly, our new city even had a waiting list for apartments.

And so it was that hotel Room 229 became our address for a while.

This wasn’t what we had in mind when planning our move, but one sparkling, blue grace did accompany hotel life — a swimming pool.

Day upon day, my children and I whisked our way downstairs to the water, as the pool quickly became our escape from the small room and its imposing walls.

While those months of hotel life are now the foggy flashbacks of yesteryear, there is one extraordinary afternoon I’ll never forget — for we had no idea of the divine appointment God had scheduled for us that day.

My sons collected playmates almost as quickly as they collected dirt, and this day was no exception as they became fast friends with a little boy at the pool.

Laughter filled the courtyard as the sun crawled down the horizon, until finally I called my crew inside for supper.

While the boys said goodbye to their new friend, I gathered our things, and there in the dusk of that humble afternoon, God offered a glimpse into His divine appointment book.

“Thank you. Thank you more than you know,” a warm voice expressed.

I turned to listen as a grateful mother spoke of a son who was different, who was rarely included, who was used to being the lonely observer, not the welcomed friend.

Wow, I thought. I assumed we’d gone poolside that day to escape the nagging walls of a hotel room, believed we lived from suitcases because we couldn’t find a home.

Yet, right in the middle of my messed-up plans, God gave me fresh insight for the countless unseen ways we keep divine appointments.

That day, my family found ourselves living the truth of Solomon’s proverb, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21).

We’d made many plans, all right — plans that wouldn’t align with our timing, plans that didn’t include raising our family in a hotel room.

Yet we’d forgotten that God knows what it is to make Himself at home in extra-ordinary places. Jesus left the glories of heaven for the gravity of earth to fulfill the greatest purpose of all — to become the Savior of the world. (John 6:38-40) And, during His ministry on earth, He often slept outdoors on the Mount of Olives, calling no place home. (Luke 21:37; Matthew 8:20) Then after His resurrection and return to heaven, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within the life of every believer. (John 14:16-17)

This very same God who makes His home with us intimately orders our days, plants our feet in timely places and weaves purpose into our stories. I realized that day that life isn’t all about finding a place to call home but about being at home with His plans, open to appointments we never see coming.

That evening, I walked back up the stairs to Room 229 with fresh understanding for the purpose bound up in the weary parts of life, as cramped hotel living became a worthy offering to the Keeper of eternal timetables.

For I saw purpose in the grateful eyes of a mom that day, in the laughs of a welcomed little boy, in the sacred cadence of surrender’s song: Here am I, Lord. Send me.

Dear Lord, thank You for ordering my days for Yourself. May my heart be open to every divine appointment You schedule. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A God Who Freely Pardons ..... by Lynette Kittle

 A God Who Freely Pardons

by Lynette Kittle

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.” – Isaiah 55:7

Who deserves to be pardoned? When it comes to presidential pardons and the like, there is always much debate about who is considered worthy to receive it.

As the world system operates, it often comes down to convicted individuals having connections to the right people, or those whose freedom fits into a strategic political statement or agenda, who ultimately receive pardons.

Unlike mankind’s system, isn’t it wonderful news that God freely pardons, not based on who you know or if you fit into a political agenda but rather based on who God is and your priceless value to Him?

Many have the idea that God is sitting up in heaven with a big gavel just waiting for you to mess up so He can make you pay for your sins.

This distorted image of God couldn’t be farther from the truth. Timothy 2:3,4 describes how God wants all people to be saved and know His truth.

God’s heart towards you is to pardon you and it isn’t dependent on what you did or didn’t do. Even more so, you don’t have to have celebrity or political connections, or do anything to deserve it.

He’s already taken care of sin’s death sentence through Jesus’ death on the cross but it’s up to you to receive it. Colossians 2:13,14 explains how when you were dead in your sins, He forgave you and canceled the charges against you, taken it away, and nailed it to the cross.

As Romans 8:2 explains, “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

When God takes care of your sentence, it’s complete. John 8:36 states, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Pardoning guilty individuals originated with God. Acts 13:38 states, “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Along with setting you free from sin’s death penalty, God’s pardon leads you to holiness and eternal life (Romans 6:22).

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Savior and received God’s pardon for your sins, take into consideration “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

For Rainy Days..... by Ryan Duncan

 For Rainy Days 

by Ryan Duncan

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10

Recently, my Small Group decided to take a weekend retreat down to the coast. I’ve got to say, I was pretty excited. In the days leading up to the weekend I couldn’t help but imagine hanging out at the beach, playing some football with the guys, and grilling copious amounts of meat for evening meals. When Friday finally rolled around, we loaded up our cars and made the two hour trip down to the coast where we had rented our cabin. Well, it rained. All weekend.

It wasn’t the fun kind of rain either, the kind where if you get a few people brave enough you can run around outside like maniacs until you’re soaked. No, this was the cold, unrelenting kind of rain that makes you want to crawl back in bed and hibernate for a week. So I was a little surprised when Stephanie, one of the girls in our group, announced that she wanted to get baptized. She had planned on doing so at the beginning of the trip, and decided that she was going to follow through despite the weather.

She couldn’t have picked a more miserable day. The sky was gray, the sea was white and foamy, and as we stepped onto the beach, I knew it would only be minutes until we were all close to freezing. I remember watching Stephanie and her friend wading into the sea and thinking that when I got baptized it would be somewhere tropical and sunny. But when Stephanie broke the surface, the joy on her face seemed uncontainable. You couldn’t help smiling with her as she climbed out of the water.

Suddenly the sky didn’t seem so gray, the rain wasn’t so bad, even the wind, which was just as cold as ever, didn’t bother me so much. It was one of those moments where you knew God was there. Life is full of bad moments and rainy days, and it’s tempting to think God doesn’t care when cloudy skies remain the same. But here’s the thing about God, you never know him better than after he’s taught you to laugh in the rain.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Take a moment to find Joy in the life God has given you.

Further Reading

Psalms 16:11

A Prayer for Strength and Action..... By: Lindsay Tedder

 A Prayer for Strength and Action

By: Lindsay Tedder

Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we support you. Be strong and take action! - Ezra 10:4

I overuse exclamation points… to the extreme. So much so that I once addressed an envelope and accidentally placed an exclamation point after the zip code. Years later I had a boss come to me and ask me to start using periods more frequently when writing emails. She wasn’t wrong, but it still felt weird to that hear about myself. Was I too excited? Was I too bubbly or happy? Not “business-y” enough? I wasn’t sure. I guess I just figured that I wanted everyone to be able to contextually understand me and an exclamation point was the best way to get that point across. Nevertheless, I began using more periods when drafting business emails. Her small request allowed me the space to still be me, but also to develop a level of maturity and growth.

Because of my adoration of exclamation points, whenever I see them used in the Bible, I kind of squeal with excitement. The Bible is packed full of sentences that end in boring old periods but when there is an exclamation point, I know there is something powerful there. In my searching through the Word I have only found a handful of exclamation points. Total.

In Ezra 10, the Israelites were admitting that they had sinned. They had married the foreign wives that they were specifically instructed to NOT marry. As Ezra prayed and confessed to God the sins of the people, he wept and fell face down, as others joined him. They lamented their actions and made a plan. Then decided it was time to GET UP! Notice that pretty little exclamation point!

They were admitting that this matter was their responsibility and they were there to support each other. The charge to be strong and take action is twofold. We aren’t called to only demonstrate strength. We are also called to take action.

Right now, in this uncertain season of immense changes, we are to be strong and take action. Action can look different to every person we know. For some of us our action is staying home and protecting our family and loved ones. For others our action is continuing to work at our essential jobs, serving the community by providing healthcare, food, or housing. Whatever action may look like in your life, we are called to be strong and take action.

Let’s pray now, to be men and women who are, in God’s strength, strong, taking action in the places he calls us:

Thank you, Lord, for equipping me with your strength; a strength I don’t deserve and could never be capable of on my own. Thank you for carrying me when I am weak. Thank you for holding my hand when I am too scared to take the next step. Thank you for lighting the way in the bleak darkness of my reality. Thank you for the instructions to be strong AND take action. I know that these two go hand in hand. I know that I must not only be strong, but I must also take action.

Thank you for the strength that motivates us into action. I know that without action, I am simply stuck in a holding period. I know that without action, I am simply stuck. Lord, I pray to be like Ezra. I know that I am sinful. I pray for the audacity to confess boldly, repeat loudly, and lament intensely in front of others. I want to be strong and take action. I refuse to live in a holding period.

I pray that you equip me with your strength that can carry me into action, and I pray that I can use a whole lot of exclamation points to describe how amazing You are. Thank you, Lord, for designing me to be exactly who I am. Thank you for Your strength that leads to action, especially in such uncertain times. Amen.